High-power diaphragm capsule assembly



Filed July 2, 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET-l July 22, 1952 w. ANGST 2,604,117

HIGH-POWER DIAPHRAGM CAPSULE ASSEMBLY Fig. 1

INVENTOR. gvALT'E-R ANG ST ATTORNEY.

W. ANGST HIGH-POWER DIAPHRAGM CAP SULE ASSEMBLY July 22, 1952 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed July 2. 1949 zzvmvron lQ/A LTER ANGST ATTORN iv 3 carried out may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of it in which:

Figure l is a side view of a high power diaphragm capsule assembly incorporating the present invention, the view being taken; on line I--I of Figure3, certain portions being shown broken away to disclose structural details;

Figure 2 is an end view of the diaphragm capsule assembly proper, the enclosing housing being omitted for the purpose of clarity; and

Figure 3 is a plan view of the assembly shown in Figure '1, parts of the assembly being shown in section, and certain portions being shown broken away.

In, the following description and in the claims various details will be identified by specific names for convenience. The names, however, are intended to be as generic in their application as the art will permit. Corresponding reference characters refer to corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the drawings accompanying, and forming part of this specification, certain specific disclosure of the invention is made for the purpose of explanation of broader aspects of the invenmodified in'various respects without departure from'the broad principles of the invention and that the invention may be applied to other structures than the one shown. I

'The diaphragm capsule assembly shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a supporting housing II suitable for mounting within a conventional instrument casing (not shown). The various elements constituting the assembly are mounted within the housing II which is of substantially cylindrical shape and consists of two substantially identical housing portions I2 and I3 held togethergby a front end plate I4 and a rear end plate I5 secured to the housing portions by screws I6. capsules I I, I8 and 19 is mounted within the rear portion of the housing I I. The capsules have central bosses 29, 2 I, 22 and 23 of which the bosses 2| and 22' serve to interconnect the three capsules I'l, I8 and I9. The stack of capsules is supported within the housing intermediate its ends. For-this purpose the central capsule I8 is provided with peripheral lugs 24. These lugs protrude into corresponding slots of the wall of the housing I I and are secured to the housing II by screws 24'. The slots 25 extend into the housingwall from the rear end plate I5.

As a result of the support of the stack of capsules the'terminal boss 20 tends to move to the left upon a. certain decrease in ambient pressure and theterminal boss 23 tends to move an equal distance to the right. The terminal boss 23 carries a three-armed spider 26 and the terminal bossZIl carries a similar spider 2! whose arms areofiset 60 degrees with respect to the arms of the spider 26. As a result of this arrangement the armsof the spider 26 tend to move in one direction an equal distance as the arms ofthe spider 21 move in the opposite direction.

A second stack of diaphragm capsules comprising evacuated capsules 28, 29 and 3a is mounted in the forward end of the housing. The capsules carry central bosses 3 I, 32, 33 and 34 of which the bosses 32 and 33 serve to interconnect the three capsules while the terminal bosses 3| and 34 carry spiders 3 5 and 35, respectively. The central diaphragm capsule29 has peripheral lugs 31 se- A first stack of three evacuated diaphragm' of the two stacks of diaphragms.

tion, but it is understood that the details may be 4 cured to the bottom of slots 38 in the housing II by screws 31'.

The diaphragm capsules of both stacks are preferably of identical dimensions and pressure characteristics. It is therefore apparent that the spiders 35 and 35 of the last described stack of capsules will tend to move the sam'e'distance and in the same direction as the spider 21 and 25, re-

spectively. 7

Corresponding spiders are connected by connecting rods. Rods 39 secured .to the ends of the spider 26 and 35 and connecting rods 40 are secured to the arms of the spiders 21 and 35, respectively.

Suitable means are provided for coordinating the movement of the coupled spiders on the ends Such mecha nisms may suitably comprise a rocking arm 4I having a central shaft portion 42 from which arms 43 extend outwardly. These arms are pivotally mounted on inwardly extending bosses 44 and 45 of the housing I I. In order to provide for a pivotal support free from play or lost motion, the arms 43 as well as the ends of the boss 44 and 45 are slotted at the ends and have secured with The ends of the rocking arm 4I have similar flat springs 43 and 49 secured thereto by means of screws 50, the ends of the last namedfiat springs being securely attached to link rods 51' will result in a' rocking movement of the arm 4I' in a clockwisefor counterclockwise direction.

In order to transmit the diaphragm motion to an indicator two of the connecting rods '40 carry actuating arms 58. These arms are preferalzvly adjustably clamped to the rods by clamping screws 59'fo'r'. calibration purposes. The ends of the arms 58 are linked to a yoke 60 by flat springs GI and the yoke has a central lug 62 to:

which the arm 63 of a rock shaft 64 is'pivotally connected at 55. The rock shaft 64 is pivotally supported at 66 and 6! within a mounting base? 68 integral with the front end plate I4. The rock shaft 64 carries a gear sector 59. meshing with .an indicator pinion 10 and is counterbalanced by a weight I I. The indicator pinion is secured to an indicator shaft 12 carrying an indicator drum 13 on whose periphery numerals 14'may beengraved. Thedrum 13 maybe coupled to further coaxial drums of equal diameter in any desired.

ratio of transmission preferably the ratio of 10 to l. Sincesuch an arrangement is conven tional in counters, it requires nofurther detailed illustration or description.

The operation of the deviceisgevident fromthe aforegoing description andis briefly as follows:

If. a decrease in ambient pressure occurs, allthe diaphragm capsules expand anequal amount:

assuming that all the capsules have equal pressure. characteristics. rods 39 will move to the right and the connecting rods4ll will move anequal distance to the left.

The rods 39-and 40 are'coupled by the rocking! arm4l... The movement of therods lfl is transmitted to the yoke fio'which'by'reason' of its con-"- inthe slots a pair. of flexible ,fiat springs 43 and:

As a result the connecting nection to therock shaft .64 causes thei'gearisec-; tor-692m turn in a: counters-clockwise sense. 7 The pi'nionzlfl and, the indicator drum..'|3 turnina clockwise. direction and cause theaindicia on the drumato: advance in an ascending sense.

Theillustrated'assembly' results in a multiplicationof thepower of each individualcapsule by fourand furthermore results in a movement of each of the conecting rods39 and 40 which is one andia half times the expansion-or contraction of aisingle diaphragm capsule.

[The-illustrated assembly. thus .produces a resultant motion which exceeds the motion of an individual capsule by 50 percent and it makes available a power which exceeds the power of an individual. diaphragm capsule by 30-0 percent. The load of the indicating'mechanism on the individual capsule is correspondingly reduced and the. lag. which such a load would'cause the indication is lessened inthe same proportion. 1

the illustrated form of assembly an error arising from a faulty characteristic of one capsule is. reduced bythe action of 'the other five, and the movement of the indicating-means becomes the mean valueof the movements of all the capsules. Thus the accuracy of the instrument is greatly increased,

While in-the illustrated form of apparatus the device actuated by the diaphragm capsules is an indicator, it is apparent that any other form of device requiring actuation in dependence on changes in pressure could be operated by the illustrated assembly.

What is claimed is:

1. A high power diaphragm capsule assembly, particularly for aircraft instruments, comprising, a support; a plurality of diaphragm capsules constituting a first stack mounted on said support intermediate the ends of the stack for movement of the ends of the stack in opposite directions upon a change in pressure; a plurality of diaphragm capsules constituting a second stack mounted on said support intermediate the ends of the second stack, substantially in line with said first stack, for movement of the ends of the second stack in opposite directions upon a change in pressure; a spider carried by each of the free ends of said first and said second stack, the spiders extending beyond the periphery of said capsules; connecting members connecting as a first unit the spiders of the first and second stack tending to move in one direction upon a certain change in pressure; connecting members connecting as a second unit the spiders of the first and second stack tending to move in the opposite direction upon said certain change in pressure; 'a rocking beam mounted on said support between said two stacks to couple said units together, one arm of the rocking beam being connected to said one unit and the other arm of the rocking beam being connected to said other unit, whereby the movement of the ends of-the two stacks is averaged and their power is totaled.

2. A high power diaphragm capsule assembly, particularly for aircraft instruments, comprising, a support; a plurality of diaphragm capsules constituting a first :stack mounted on said support intermediatethe endsof the stack for movement.

of'theiends of the stack inopposite directions upon a change in pressure; a pluralityv of diaphragm capsules constituting a secondlstack mounted on said support intermediate the ends of the second'stack, substantially in-line with said first stack, .formovement of the ends of the sec.

on'd'stack in opposite directions upon a change in pressure; a spider carried by each .of .the free ends of said first and said second stack, the arms+ofnecting rods connecting the arms of the aligned spiders, thereby forming two units, a, first unit comprising two .spiders and connecting ,rods tend-.

ing to move in one direction upon a certain change inzpressure; and a second unit comprising the remaining two spiders and connecting rods tending.

to move in the opposite direction upon said oertainv change inpressure, theconnecting rods vof arranged in two groups ofcentrally: connected capsules, each group being mounted to permit movement of one endmost capsule wall in one direction and to permit movement of the other endmost capsule wall of the same group in the opposite direction under the same change in pressure; first coupling means connecting the endmost walls of the two groups moving in one direction to produce a first unit whose displacement is equal in magnitude to that of a single diaphragm capsule but of double the power; second coupling means connecting the endmost walls of the two groups moving in the opposite direction to produce a second unit whose displacement is equal in magnitude to that of a single diaphragm capsule but of double the power and in a direction opposite to that of the first coupling means; and a pivotally mounted member engaged by said first and second unit on opposite sides of the pivotal axis, whereby the displacement of the said member about its pivotal axis becomes proportional to the average of the movement of the four capsules.

4. A pressure sensitive diaphragm capsule assembly including at least four diaphragm capsules arranged in two groups of centrally connected capsules, each groupbeing mounted to permit movement of one endmost capsule wall in one direction and to permit movement of the other endmost capsule wall of the same group in the opposite direction under the same change in pressure; first coupling means connecting the endmost walls of the two groups moving in one direction to produce a first unit whose displacement is equal in magnitude to that of a single diaphragm capsule but of double the power; second coupling means connecting the endmost walls of the two groups moving in the opposite direction to produce a second unit whose displacement is equal in magnitude to that of a single diaphragm capsule but of double the power and in a direction opposite to that of the first coupling means; and a rocking beam pivotally mounted between said firstand said second unit and linked with its arms' to said first and said second unit, .respectively, for pivotal'motion in the same sense by. motion in opposite directions of said first and second units, whereby the power of the four dia-. phragm ca'psules is totaled and. their displace: ment in response to pressure changes is averaged. r. 1

5. A pressure sensitive diaphragm capsule assembly as set forth in claim 4 in which the link connection between the rocking beam and the saidunits comprises connecting rods flexibly connected to the rocking beam and the said units, re-

flat springs to eliminate lost mostack mounted in said housing intermediate the ends of the stack for movement of the ends of the stack in opposite directions upon a change in pressure; a plurality of evacuated diaphragm capsules constituting a second stack mounted in said housing intermediate the ends of the second stack, coaxially with said first stack, for move ment of the-ends of the second stack in opposite directions upon 'a change in pressure; a spider carried by each of the ends of said first and said second stack, the spiders extending with their arms beyond the periphery of said capsules, the spider on one end of one stack being aligned with the spider at the correspondin end of the other stack, and the spider on the other end of the one and a second unit comprising the remaining two spiders and connecting rods tending to move in the opposite direction uponsaid certain'change in pressure, the connecting, rods of the two units alternating in sequence around the periphery of the capsules; a rocking beam mounted 'in said housing for pivotal movement between the two stacks of capsules to couple said two units together, one arm of said rocking beam being connected to said one unit and the other arm of .the rocking beam being connected to said other unit; and a yoke hingedly connected to two connecting rods of; one unit and extending over the end of said one unit for transmittal of the combined and averaged movement of all the capsules: to an element to be actuated in response to changes in altitude.

. WAL'I'ER ANGST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Dec. 16, 1926 

